Genre Folk rock Label Columbia | Length 2:10 Writer(s) Paul Simon | |
Recorded October 5, 1967
Columbia Studio A
(New York City) Producer(s) Paul Simon
Art Garfunkel
Roy Halee | ||
"Punky's Dilemma" is a song by American music duo Simon & Garfunkel from their fourth studio album, Bookends (1968).
Contents
Background
"Punky's Dilemma" was one of two songs (the other being "Overs") that Paul Simon offered to director Mike Nichols for his film The Graduate. Nichols was not particularly taken with either, which led to Simon writing "Mrs. Robinson".
The song was partially worked on by John Simon, who was hired to "kick-start" the recording while Paul Simon had writer's block. Morgan Ames, writer for High Fidelity magazine, attended a recording session during which "Punky's Dilemma" was being worked on, in October 1967. The team spent over 50 studio hours recording "Punky's Dilemma," re-recording vocal parts, sometimes note by note, until they were satisfied.
Composition
"Punky’s Dilemma" is breezy and minimal musically, with a soft jazz-style percussion and seemingly improvised guitar lines dominated by seventh chords. It employs breakfast-food images to lampoon Hollywood and the film industry. It improbably takes an "abrupt left turn" in its third verse, when the singer begins to fantasize himself an admired soldier.